Hamas

Trump Gives Hamas Ultimatum on Gaza Deal

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday gave Hamas an ultimatum of "three or four days" to respond to his plan to end the war in Gaza, as the militant group reviewed the proposal backed by Israel. The plan calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages by Hamas within 72 hours, a disarmament of Hamas, and the gradual Israeli withdrawal ...

Hamas Yet to Respond on Trump's Gaza Plan

Hamas is reportedly reviewing US President Donald Trump's proposal for ending the Gaza war, which is backed by the Israeli prime minister. "Hamas has begun a series of consultations within its political and military leaderships, both inside Palestine and abroad," a Palestinian source close to Hamas, speaking on condition of ...

Trump's 20-Point Gaza Peace Plan that Hamas "Should Accept" or Face Elimination

After days of speculation, the White House on Monday released a 20-point plan for ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza, releasing hostages held by Hamas, and outlining the Palestinian enclave's future. Speaking alongside President Donald Trump at the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave cautious backing to the ...

Ahead of Trump Meeting, Israeli Minister Demands Army Keep "Operational Freedom" in Gaza

Israel's far-right finance minister on Monday insisted the military maintain "full operational freedom" in Gaza, ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's White House meeting with US President Donald Trump. Trump is expected to press Netanyahu to agree to his 21-point peace plan, proposed after nearly two years of ...

Palestinian Statehood and the Unanswered Questions 

Political observers' harrowing concern is to consider how timely this political undertaking is under the current circumstances and whether it positively impacts the future of the conflict. It’s not enough to make political statements with no questions about their opportunity and feasibility. Otherwise, the proponents are adding to the problem ...

What Does the US 21-Point Plan for Gaza Include?

At the UN General Assembly, the United States shared a 21-point proposal with a small group of Arab and Muslim countries aimed at ending the war in Gaza. According to Axios, the US proposals draw on various ideas discussed over the past six months, as well as concepts developed by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and former British Prime ...

Trump Says Gaza Peace Deal in "Final Stages"

United States President Donald Trump told Axios in an interview Sunday that negotiations over his plan to end the war in Gaza are "at their final stages" and contended a deal could open the way for wider peace in the Middle East. Earlier in the day, Trump had announced “something special, a first” in Middle East peace negotiations on the eve ...

Netanyahu at UN: Conditional Peace with Lebanon, a New Middle East

In an address to the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reopened the door to peace with Lebanon. He declared that “peace between Israel and Lebanon is possible,” contingent on the disarmament of Hezbollah. “If Lebanon takes action to disarm Hezbollah, I’m confident peace will follow,” he ...

At UN, Abbas Defends Palestinian Cause, Rejects Hamas

Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas on Thursday rejected any future role for Hamas and condemned antisemitism, as he appealed for full global support for a state in the face of Israeli annexation threats. Days after France led a special summit and several Western powers recognized a state of Palestine, the veteran 89-year-old leader was forced to ...

Israel Army Says 700,000 Palestinians Fled South from Gaza City

The Israeli military said Thursday that 700,000 Palestinians have fled Gaza City to the south since late August, as it presses an air and ground assault on the urban center. When asked by AFP, the military said that "700,000 Palestinians have evacuated" from Gaza City to the south of the Gaza Strip. The UN's humanitarian agency, OCHA, on ...

Beyond Hamas: Gaza’s Emerging Tribal Militias

In a landscape ravaged by nearly two years of war between Israel and Hamas, local figures are stepping in to fill the void left by the weakening of the Palestinian movement in Gaza. In Kizan al-Najjar, a depopulated village south of Khan Younes in the southern enclave, Hossam al-Astal, a former Palestinian Authority officer, has announced the ...